Three firms nominated in food and drink awards

Three Shetland businesses have been shortlisted in this year’s Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards.

Lerwick Brewery’s 60° North beer is up for an award in the Best Drink category and Shetland Cheese Ltd’s St Ninian’s Soft Cheese in the New Product category while Frankie’s Fish & Chip Shop in Brae has been shortlisted in the Best Eatery category.

The winner will be announced at a dinner in the Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness, hosted by presenter and comedian Fred MacAulay, on Friday 24th October.

In all there are 41 finalists across 12 award categories chosen by 14 judges, headed by Steven Rankin, director of UK sales at headline sponsor Gordon & MacPhail.

Alison Graham of Lerwick Brewery said: “60° North is proving really popular with drinkers right across Scotland, and its reach is growing in the rest of the UK too.

“Drinkers love the depth of taste coupled with the lack of artificial fizz so redolent of many mass-market lagers. It’s a refreshing take on lager – as one reviewer said ‘how lagers should be’ – and we are delighted that 60° North has been recognised. It’s a fantastic accolade to be a finalist.”

Frankie’s Fish & Chip Shop was highly commended in the same category at last year’s awards ceremony.

Frankie’s manager John Gold said: “We are obviously honoured to have been shortlisted in the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards for the second year in succession.

“We look forward to the dinner in October when all the winners will be announced.”

Mr Rankin said: “It was a genuine pleasure to chair the judging panel again. The diversity and extremely high quality of submissions was an on-going reminder of the imagination, passion and skill which is prevalent throughout the industry.

“It was fantastic to review such a diverse range of entries from a brilliant blend of well-established companies to youngsters and new businesses just starting out in the industry.”